Team HUMMER To Be Led by Driver Emily Miller

Two years ago, a father brought his young daughter to the 2006 Baja 1000 from a small village several hours south of Ensenada, Mexico to meet all the female drivers. He wanted to provide inspiration to his daughter by showing her that she too could be a professional driver, just like all the female participants at the Baja 1000. Not only did the father give his daughter inspiration, but their meeting with Team HUMMER driver Emily Miller gave her motivation to keep on driving and to encourage all females that they can drive. On August 22nd, Miller will be the first female driver ever to pilot across the Nevada desert in the 550 mile race from Las Vegas to Reno, making history for both Team HUMMER and for the Best in the Desert Racing Association.

Billed as the longest off-road race in the United States, the rough drive across the unforgiving desert took Team HUMMER over 13 hours to complete to finish first in their class in the 2007 event. Miller is aware of her circumstances, stating that "people told me not to take it too seriously; that starting at 40, I wouldn't have the endurance to compete." Miller is nothing close to a typical off-road race truck - she weighs 100 pounds, stands 5 feet tall, and is a woman - but she has already won several off-roading events and will be prepared.

Of course, Miller wants to do it for the girls: "When I get introduced as a driver, usually the men either don't believe it or don't understand at first - then do a double take. One immediate assumption is that I am not tough enough - I actually find that pretty funny. However when women hear it, they get excited. There are many women out there who would love to be doing the same. I hope I can serve as a motivation for women to get out there and chase their goals - that is very fulfilling to me."

Miller works with Team HUMMER as the Marketing and PR (public relations) director along with being their driver. She started working with the team when she met Team HUMMER patriarch Rod Hall at a meeting at the National Automobile Museum, where Hall asked Miller to work on some HUMMER-related projects. According to Miller: "Rod asked me to get involved on a couple projects - the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and some off-road event production for HUMMER dealers...I really liked what I saw, and after a couple years, Rod asked if I would be interested in driving for the team. I thought that meant he wanted me to drive a HUMMER for promotions. It took me a few minutes to process the fact he meant racing for the team! I have a long way to go and so much to learn, but already the experience has been incredible and a real honor to be trained by Rod." Since then, Miller has gotten familiar with the brand, learning the highs and lows of the company, crucial for her considering her position.

"My attitude toward the brand has definitely evolved as I have experienced the capabilities of the trucks firsthand...these trucks are incredible off-road." Miller splits time with a HUMMER H3 and an Audi A4, saying "they get the exact same fuel economy, and often the HUMMER exceeds (the Audi) by 1-2 mpg...The more I have learned about the auto industry and the various SUVs, the more I believe the poor image painted of the brand has been unfairly given." She hopes to be able to assist the HUMMER image along with the female drivers she will inspire.

In her free time, she enjoys skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, surfing, and also runs her own sports marketing company. She prefers to ride a bicycle when running errands.

Check out Team HUMMER for more on Emily Miller.

Source: HummerGuy.net